going on a trip to Lancaster PA

The TCA museum is next door.  The Penn RR museum is about a mile away.  Choo choo barn another mile.  I just visited all three on my way back from York Saturday.

 

doug

Yes.  Don't stay at the Red Caboose. 

 

Do the Strasburg Railroad. 

 

Do the TCA Museum. 

 

Do the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania.

 

Do breakfast at the Lapp Family Restaurant.

 

Don't stay at the Red Caboose.

 

Jon

 

Did I mention not staying at the Red Caboose?

Kooljock1 why should i not stay at the red caboose??

I highly recommend the Country Inns and Suites across from Dutch Wonderland.  Terrific fat filled breakfasts and great coffee.  All of the aforementioned sites are worth your time.  You can easily spend a day in the PRR Museum.

Absolutely disgusting, dirty, expensive for what it is. Basically a glorified trailer park in my book. I like the Historic Strasburg Inn in downtown Strasburg. 

Agree totally with others who said not to stay at red caboose. It is a dump and was even shut down once by board of health for sewage problems. Country inns and Suites is always nice. I stay at Fulton Steamboat Inn. It is reasonably priced, very charming and it  has a restaurant, tavern and an indoor pool as well as nice grounds. It is Also very close to all train activities in Stasburg. I highly recommend it!

 

Brush

Watch out for the roaches at the Red Caboose.

We stayed two years ago and it was fine.  We requested the Erie RR painted car after looking through interior photos of the other cars.  It looked the most authentic but recently renovated.  Other than some flies buzzing around (you're staying in a railroad car...), it seemed clean enough.  My family camps a lot however, so to some clean freaks it might not be the place to go.

I stayed at the Caboose Motel once years ago and made the drive to York from there...

I had no problems THEN and and found it "different", which was the intent, and pleasant...but it might have been in the late 1980's.....I used to stop there regularly

when they had a few trains for sale, just to walk through,  but that was done away with and it has been several years since I've stopped there..just blowing by to the TCA Museum during York week...I, too, used to camp, and have a motto of "travel cheap and travel often", so have stayed in none of the others listed above...

thanks for the info.  but my sister already payed for it.  hope i can sleep there  

There used to be a model train shop next store to the Choo Choo Barn model rairoad layout. That is where I bought a couple of Strasburg RR freight cars for my O gauge trains.

The Pennsylvania Railroad museum has a large indoor model railroad layout, it is a must see if at the Pennsy RR museum.

 

Lee Fritz

A good place to eat is the Shady Maple, a buffet style restaraunt, on route 30 between Morganton bypass I-178, from Reading to the PA turnpike and Lancaster. Head west on route 30 into the Amish country, and watch out for the horse and buggies. Might be able to take route 30 east from Lancaster to the Shady Maple, not sure on that, so don't quote me.

 

Lee Fritz

While Shady Maple is the best, it is far from you. Millers up on Route 30 is great..Strasburg is great, but as everyone else said DONT stay at the Red Caboose..Why you think you have to pay in advance? I was just there and it was terrible and I am a train guy..

Don't miss the ice cream and candy shop on the main corner in downtown Strasburg. It is on the northwest corner at the intersection where you turn east to go to the museums. Also, The Iron Horse Inn for a good lunch and brew. It is right near the Strasburg RR.

Lightn up guys .... he's taking his family. We used to stay at the Red Caboose with the kids often. They loved it. IIRC, they even had fly swatters in the cabooses for your convenience.

 

On the other hand, sometimes enough is enough, and we would stay at Willow Valley Resort ... a little ways west of Strasburg taking 741. Swimming pools, pretty good buffet, big rooms. Kinda overpriced.

 

There used to be a tiny motel a ways east of Dutch Wonderland ... Cherry Lane Motel ??? .... off of rt 30/340 ..... run by an elderly couple. My kids would go in the chicken coop and fetch their own eggs to be cooked for them, take a try at their milk cow , etc. Really nice. Then a family from India or someplace bought the motel, and lived there. They were very nice people, but all the animals and stuff ended. Sad.

 

We spent many a weekend in Strasburg when my kids were small. Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania .... what a great place!!!!

 

Have fun on your trip.

Jim

 

If you want to eat the best food for the cheapest money go to Dienners. Half the price of Millers. Number one rated Place in Ronks. Its next to Dutch Haven,the place with the windmill. The Country Inns and suites is really nice as others have said.

You guy's are all forgetting about Isaacs next to the train store in Strasburg. Great sandwiches.

My wife and I once stayed at the Red Caboose Motel. Never again. The last two times we have stayed at the Clarion Historic Strasburg Inn. We will be there again next month on our way back from a wedding in Dewey Beach, DE. We also try to at least have one meal at Dienners and Isaacs Deli. Great food at a reasonable price.

I'd have to agree with the others about the Caboose Motel. I also stayed there once a few years ago and that was enough. There is no railroad caboose "feel" to the interior of the room. Inside it just looks like any other cheap motel room.

 

Eddie G is right on about Isaacs. It's in the same building with the Choo Choo Barn and the Strasburg Train Shop. Some of the best sandwiches I've ever had!

Isaac has other locations around PA. There are two in the York area, one near the fairgrounds. My wife and I always stop at one of them to eat when we arrive in York on Wednesday before helping OGR set up for the show.

Also worth checking out is Strasburg Station, a hobby store in the Rockville outlets across from the Steamboat.  Extensive selection of RR books to say the least.

I have stayed at the Red Caboose Motel many times. Young kids love it, most wives and teens don't. The typical caboose has a double bed and 2 bunk beds. On the grounds is a petting "zoo" and a nice playground area. Spending a night in Strasburg has become a tradition for me and some (usually 7) of my grandkids. This summer will be #13. Their parents stayed there when they were kids. Some forum members love to "bad mouth" this place. Yes, it does not compare to a "better" motel with a pool, but it's a fun place for kids.

Another very worthwhile place to go, only a few miles from Strasburg on Rt.30, is the National Christmas Center . It has been featured on Martha Stewart, the History Channel, and HGTV. While Summer may not find you in the Christmas spirit, the crowds are very small that time of year.

I like staying at the Sleep's Inn on Lincoln Highway in Ronks. Few of my favorite sites:

 

• The Choo Choo Barn & Train shops in the plaza
• Strasburg RR
• RR Museum of PA
• The National Christmas Museum
• TCA Museum
• Pirates Cove Mini-Golf on Lincoln Highway opposite the Waffle House
• Its about a 30-40 minute ride to Hershey Park, well worth it!

EATS

• Issac's Deli in the Choo Choo Barn plaza
• Miller's
• Bird-In-Hand
• Shady Maple
• and MY favorite of favorites......The Waffle House :-)

Know matter what, you will have a great time!

Also, between Dutch Wonderland and Strasburg is a big, well known theatre that does plays. With animals and such, I believe. I never attended one, but my wife, mom, mom-in-law, etc have seen them. Sight & Sound Theatre on rt 896 (I think). Don't know if its something your family would like.

 

They get bus loads of people, need to get tickets in advance.

 

They do "Noah" during the summer.  http://www.sight-sound.com/Web.../shows.do?showCD=NOA

 

Jim

Barry's Train Shop in Elizabethtown is about a 30 minute drive and worth the trip. The Strasburg Train Shop is at the Choo Choo Barn but is a little pricey.

If you are in the Lancaster Area the First Friday of any month, be sure to head to downtown Lancaster Friday evening. Any number of  art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants are open and doing a booming business. Be sure to hit Gallery Row (the 200 Block of North Prince Street) and the eclectic shops and restaurants of the 300 Block of North Queen, especially Rachel's Creperie, 309 N. Queen St.

just got back last night from my trip.  the hotel was fine it seemed clean to me.  but the shower was a bit small.  as the guy says where i buy my cloths says i am king sized  ( or in plan english i am FAT lol )  went to the tca train museum,Strasburg RR, PA train museum, did not make it to the choo choo barn.  that is all i made it too  but we are planing on going back latter this summer.  on to miller's i think we need one here in my city.  yep we do.  the food was great and very filling.  did not get to go to many other places had breakfast at the dinning car at the hotel, and breakfast at cracker barrel.  but i liked miller's a lot.  also tried sho fly pie it was good.  also if you ever get the chance to go to danish wonderland with some kids it was fun also.  well that is all i will say for now.  

          Traindork,

 

  Make sure you stop and eat at Katies Kitchen. When we visit Lancaster we eat ther most of the week. All three meals served during the day are excellent and plenty of it. They have the best soft serve ice cream in the county!